[Forums: Cross-Cultural Communications: Threads: Regarding the Abyssals (human enemy)]

asari_fan: Went snooping around for a bit on information regarding the humans, and I found something that you guys all need to see.

Yes, I know, for the sake of not clogging up the forums, we're all supposed to post on the Regarding the Humans thread. But I consider this something big enough to warrant it's own thread, lest it clog up the entire chat on the other one.

[spoiler: link]

[spoiler: video]

[spoiler: video]

[spoiler: video]

CW: The footage is extremely horrific. They're almost like something out of a real-life horror movie. They're nothing like those war movies the turians make on the Rebellions, or even the Rachini. They're on literally another order of magnitude altogether. Holy Athame.

drowze: Just what the hell is this.

This can be real, right?

They have to be faking this.

Right?

biasedobserver: So this was what the humans've been fighting. I can't believe that they were fighting something like this.

I don't think our side would've had a chance against these... things.

c00lt1p1c: You should've marked it as Not Safe for Life. Ugh.

I just watched a humanoid black monster eat human soldiers alive. And that was just in the first 15 seconds of the vid.

drowze: It's getting worse the more we go on. The troops getting eaten alive is just...the icing on the cake. Crystal rounds that make your flesh literally rot, black tar-like acid, and those horrible screeches...

I just can't.

b0n3z: This is so fucked. The humans are fighting a war against actual demons.

birbsrgr8: I had to stop at the 15:33 mark. There's tentacled monsters there that violate whatever hapless being it can lay onto and use their bodies to breed more abominations. What kind of sick shit is that? It's like an actual horror story come to life.

c00lt1p1c: Oh Athame. It gets worse.

I don't want to watch the rest, but I feel compelled to.

Oh shit.

b0n3z: Yeah, now we have the black-tar vomit monster.

birbsrgr8: And yet the humans continue to fight against these...things.

drowze: The hand-to-hand combat makes the Rebellions AND the Rachini combined look like playground scuffles. The blades affixed to their rifles, guns swung around like clubs, and the blood and gore, I can't watch this anymore.

It's too much.

b0n3z: I can't blame you.

birbsrgr8: Me too.

biasedobserver: How do the humans survive long enough against this stuff?

b0n3z: Luck?

drowze: I'm going to say that, yeah, but only by a lot.

biasedobserver: If that is what the humans are fighting, then...

I can't finish my thought.

itsalltrue1414: the humans are barbaric and warlike. They deserve such things happening to them.

The galaxy is a better place without them.

b0n3z: Are you fucking serious.

biasedobserver: Seriously?

birbsrgr8: Wow. That is some of the worst bullshit I've ever heard in my life.

drowze: itsalltrue1414 have you actually watched the content before posting? A group of little children were literally eaten alive as their soldiers fought hand-to-hand against enemies that could slaughter krogan in armor with ease. And you call the humans barbaric?

itsalltrue1414: Yes, and they brought it upon themselves. The humans are a plague that must be eliminated from the galaxy.

b0n3z: Go away. Your comments are not appreciated here.

itsalltrue1414: Why should I? You people have been talking about how awful the humans are since the Citadel.

biasedobserver: Maybe if you'd watched the videos instead of reading the comments, you would have seen what the others are saying.

b0n3z: You're an asshat.

asari_fan: I won't deny that the way the humans fight are barbaric by our standards. But I totally get why now.

When it's that you're fighting...

birbsrgr8: Yeah. No. I can't imagine that.

b0n3z: I've never wanted to give the humans a medal as much as now.

kroganfan: The space battles are just...brutal. Admittedly their shipbuilding has went a long way since the time the footage was recorded, but...

hailPalaven: Spirits. Imagine being outmatched like that. Outclassed on almost every category.

It takes a lot not to break in the face of such a thing.

itsalltrue1414: Of course they were! They were the scum of the universe and deserved to be exterminated!

c00lt1p1c: Mate, they're up fighting a war for their very survival, against an enemy that outclassed them on all fronts, and fought said war with enough ferocity to make krogan blink.

If you can't see why they managed to survive, I'm afraid you're just as deluded as the people you claim to hate.

b0n3z: Seriously, man. Take your crap somewhere else.


The assembled military officers shuffled around a little as the screen behind Arleigh Hudner, Field Marshal flickered to life, revealing a few images of Citadel weaponry and technology. "Ladies and gentlemen, for the sake of brevity, I'll keep this short. As you are aware, our purpose here today is to assess the potential threat posed by Citadel weapons and technology, and to determine feasible methods of countering or reverse-engineering them. Observe, if you will, the following examples..."

The screen transitioned to display images of a Citadel omni-tool. "This device, known as an 'omni-tool,' integrates the functionalities of a Swiss Army LightBlade, communications and computers equivalent to a low-end smartphone, and a nanofabricator all into a single wrist-mounted unit. It represents a significant advancement over our current standards."

There was a moment of silence, before a lieutenant spoke up. "Our nanofabricator technology permits us to make pretty much anything using backpack-sized units that can be mounted to walls or deployed on the ground, provided we have the raw materials ready. Their nanofabber tech is decades ahead of us at the very least if they could integrate that, a LightBlade, and a smartphone into a wrist-wearable platform.."

"Indeed," the Field Marshal agreed. "In terms of firepower, we are quite evenly matched. the logistical advantages provided by the Citadel's emphasis on miniaturization and efficiency become apparent when examining support equipment. We retain the capability for extended operations without resupply, but the Citadel has optimized their systems to outperform us in this regard."

He clicked to the next slide, revealing an image of an M8 Avenger rifle, along with several other Citadel-grade weapons. "As we are aware, Citadel arms employ mass-effect technology to accelerate splinters shaved off an ammunition block to high velocities, offering increased magazine capacity at the expense of reduced sustained firepower, a lower rate of fire, as well as overheating. Conversely, our weapons utilize propellants like CORDITE to fire larger projectiles at lower velocities, prioritizing stopping power and payload. While a Citadel weapon would inflict a lethal penetrating wound, our equivalent would cause catastrophic trauma due to the round's increased mass and potential for post-penetration detonation."

"The nature of mass accelerators makes them fare much better without logistical support," Major Lisa Hastings nodded. "But our gunpowder weapons make up for it in raw stopping power, capable of stopping most Abyssal threats with ease. Their equipment is dedicated towards peacetime needs or fighting a peer opponent, not the anomalous entities that are the Abyssals."

"Correct, Major," Hudner affirmed. "The key vulnerability of our arsenal lies in its logistical burden. Ammunition dependence limits our endurance without resupply via nanofabrication or conventional means. I task you officers present to investigate opportunities for reverse-engineering Citadel technology to enhance our own capabilities, and to explore potential methods of countering their advantages."


"Agarian."

Agarian looked up as General Pallonis approached him.

"General?"

"What is it that you are doing?"

Agarian looked down at the Phaeston rifle he was holding in his hands, partially disassembled, and partially modified with custom-made parts crafted with an omni-tool's nanofabricator.

"Improving the Phaeston, General. I am attempting to enhance its effectiveness."

"Ah, I see. May I examine it?"

"Certainly." Agarian handed the rifle to Pallonis, who accepted the weapon and held it in his hands. It was sturdy and well-constructed, as was expected of any turian weapon to pass inspection. However, a few subtle modifications caught his eye. A lever located directly behind the pistol grip, positioned so that his index talon could reach it if desired, but situated to prevent accidental activation. A slot was cut into the rifle's side, the space occupied by a hinged flap. He gave the modified Phaeston an experimental aiming motion down the sights, and was surprised to see that the heat bar was no longer visible. Instead, he was met with a glowing '60' on the electronics suite built into the scope.

Wait, wasn't this supposed to be a mass accelerator? he blinked. Palaven Armory doesn't manufacture slugthrowers, last I checked.

"Why are the heat bars missing, soldier? Isn't this a mass accelerator?"

"It is, General. However, it is equipped with disposable heatsinks in addition to the default fixed ones."

Pallonis flicked the lever with his index talon, watching as the flap opened, ejecting a cylinder that rolled across the ground until coming to a stop at Agarian's foot. He leaned down and picked it up, revealing it to be a small module, sealed on both ends, with heatsinks visible within.

"What is the purpose of this?" he inquired.

"It is intended to facilitate a higher rate of fire, General. Normally, we cannot fire our weapons at elevated rates, lest they overheat and become inoperable. The humans, however, employ gunpowder-based slugthrowers that fire at extremely high rates, putting any soldier equipped with mass accelerators at a significant disadvantage. This device aims to permit higher rates of fire without compromising the weapon's integrity."

Agarian produced a second heatsink from his pocket as he explained. "When the weapon overheats, rather than waiting for it to cool, we can eject the spent heatsink and replace it with a new one, resuming fire immediately. The disposable heatsinks can then be cooled in water, or discarded if circumstances do not permit. Admittedly, such a configuration does not offer the same endurance as a standard mass accelerator, but it provides substantially increased firepower at the minimal cost of additional heatsinks. As these devices can be readily fabricated using omni-tool nanofabricators and available materials, I believe the advantages outweigh the drawbacks."

"You have put considerable thought into this," Pallonis noted.

"Indeed I have. The human gunpowder weapons can easily penetrate our shields, armor, and flesh. They are combating enemies unlike the occasional pirate or peer opponent we train for but seldom encounter."

Pallonis was silent as he examined the weapon in his talons. "I think you may be onto something, soldier. I will forward your report up the chain of command. In the meantime, continue refining your design. If they do approve your proposal, you will want it to be optimal."

Agarian looked up at the General. "Excuse me, General. I had not meant for my work to be a formal submission, merely an exploration of potential enhancements for my own personal purposes."

Pallonis looked back at the younger turian. "I appreciate the gesture, soldier. But talents are to be put to good use, not sitting around idly with a gun when they can find much better ways to contribute elsewhere. You have shown great promise with this project, and the Hierarchy could benefit greatly from it. I look forward to seeing what you can achieve."

With that, the General departed, leaving a surprised Agarian standing there with the half-disassembled Phaeston rifle in his hands.


The Khufu, originally a turian frigate, had once been destined for the scrapyard. Following a valiant yet damaging battle with pirates, repairs were deemed economically unfeasible. Consequently, the ship was sold to the shipbreakers at Athunas.

Rather than dismantling the vessel, the shipbreakers performed rudimentary repairs and removed most of the armaments before reselling it. The Khufu then served honorably as an armed merchant freighter, braving Terminus pirates to deliver supplies to remote colonies in need of them, fighting off no less than five different attacks throughout it's career, all of them alone and unsupported.

It's owner, a turian named Kyrin, eventually retired to the newly settled world of Paradiso. The Khufu was then occasionally used as Kyrin's personal yacht until a series of remarkable encounters led it to the Migrant Fleet, where it would begin a new career in the Patrol Fleet.

The ship had undergone significant changes since it's time as a warship. Gone were the broadside mass accelerators and torpedo banks, stripped out at the shipbreakers long ago, and what GARDIAN lasers that were left were old and obsolete, cheap, civilian-grade models mounted on by Kyrin to replace the older, but more pristine and absent, military-grade systems. However, the drive core remained in pristine condition, and the spinal mass accelerator was still fully functional and up to military standards.

The engineers of the Migrant Fleet had put it to good use. Additional ablative armor plating had been installed, and a new set of broadside mass accelerators had been added. The GARDIAN laser arrays had been expanded with four additional units to increase firepower. Torpedo banks, more than it had even when first constructed at Palaven Armory, were now installed.

To accommodate the additional crew, a module had been attached to the ship's ventral side. A new section, housing a shuttle bay and hangar deck, had been added to the dorsal side, housing two shuttles, a squadron of fighters, and a flight of scouting probes. The bridge had been relocated internally, and an observation deck had been added for fine maneuvering control. All in all, it was a very well-done refit for an old ship, making it once again a formidable combatant capable of matching most frigates head-on. The Khufu was then formally christened into the Patrol Fleet as part of the vanguard for the Flotilla, now, as the honored lead of a scouting wolfpack. The crew was justifiably proud.

"Receiving an anomaly in the port fore sectors, Captain. Bearing 2-5 dorsal to 3-3 to port. Distance 3-4-5 units."

Captain Ysin'Zarthan vas Khufu's head jerked up from his console as he turned to the sensor operator, his expression concealed behind the opaque lenses of his mask. "Explain."

"We're detecting an unusual heat anomaly, Captain. It seems to be a ship, a derelict one, at that. I'm detecting minimal heat signatures from the hull of the contact, no emissions have been detected so far."

Ysin'Zarthan was silent for a moment. "Do we have a visual, Lieutenant?"

"Negative, Captain, it's too far away and the returns too scrambled for that. Permission to launch a probe to investigate?"

"Granted," Ysin agreed. "Notify the rest of the detachment. They'll want to know what was going on."

The Khufu was currently traversing an uninhabited region of the Terminus systems, acting as a command hub, an anchor, for the squadron of nine ships that would scout ahead and patrol the space that the Migrant Fleet would pass through. Out of the nine ships in it's detachment, it was the largest; 340m long from bow to stern. Out of the other eight, two were batarian-built frigates 300m long each, four were 174m-long orbital guard cutters, up-gunned and up-armored, and two were old Terminus armed freighters, both captured and integrated following a surprise raid by Marines.

The probe slowly approached the unknown as Ysin glanced at his XO. "Battle stations, Commander. We don't know what is out there. If we're ambushed, I want us to be ready."

The probe was nearing the object as the lights dimmed and the klaxon blared. The XO's voice rang throughout the ship as he addressed his crew. "All hands on deck. Prepare for combat. This is not a drill. All hands, battle stations."

As the bridge crew busied themselves preparing for battle, the probe closed on the contact. Weapons were warmed up as the detachment readied themselves for what was to come, a tense atmosphere settling over the bridge.

"Probe's within range, Captain. Parsing signal return. We should get something soon—" the drone's operator was cut off when a series of blips appeared on the sensor consoles, and alarms started to blare.

"Multiple contacts bearing 3-3 starboard by 4-7 ventral, distance 1-1-0! They're closing in!"

"All ships turn around to engage!" Ysin shouted over the chaotic cacophony of alarms and crewmen shouting over each other. "Hail the new contacts! Order them to stay away from us or be destroyed—"

"They're hailing us!"


"The humans are dealing with the quarians, are they not?" Corinthus asked the salarian Councilor.

"It appears so," Rallen confirmed. "It appears so. STG stealth ships monitoring the Migrant Fleet's vanguard have verified the presence of several human vessels in the vicinity. Initial contact was established three hours ago. Within two hours, shuttles were observed launching from the human ships, bound for the Quarian ones. Our analysis suggests these vessels are engaged in diplomatic missions."

"They stand to gain so much with little to risk," Corinthus muttered. "Our displeasure holds little sway over them, while the potential benefits of Quarian advisors and engineers are substantial. It's a no-brainer."

"From the outset, the quarians have already been a lost cause," Tevos said. "Our antagonistic position on the suit rats has alienated them, and changing our policies now would not only be detrimental to the image of the Citadel, but would also appear desperate and weak. Such a move would result in a significant loss of face and a decline in our influence. There's little we can do."

She paused. "While the quarians will occupy the humans' attention for a time, their engagement will not be indefinite. Once matters with the quarians have progressed sufficiently, the humans will likely turn their focus toward the krogan. Any agreement between the humans and krogan will hinge on the provision of a Genophage treatment, and it is not inconceivable that the humans, with their current technology, may be unable to discover a cure. When the humans arrive on Tuchanka, we can anticipate an alliance between the krogan and them."

"The krogan are a violent and savage people, and would have made the galaxy unsafe," Corinthus said.

"It will depend on how well the humans rein them in," Tevos countered. "But, if we play our cards strategically, the krogan can become a powerful asset. Let us hypothesize, for the sake of argument, that the humans land on Tuchanka and negotiate an alliance with the krogan, along with a Genophage treatment. If we attempted to intervene, it would only exacerbate the problem. Such an action would make the humans suspicious of us, possibly even hostile. Given the disparity in our technological capabilities, a war with the humans would be catastrophic for us."

She paused for a few moments. "Instead, we should gradually adopt a more welcoming approach. We should grant the krogan greater freedom. If the krogan desire to trade with the humans, we should permit it. Similarly, if the krogan wishes to travel or emigrate to the human colonies, we should allow it. We should be friendly and accommodating, making them feel welcome and demonstrating our willingness to collaborate with them."

Corinthus snorted. "Are you suggesting that we befriend the krogan only to betray them later? To use them for our own gain?"

"Precisely," Tevos said. "We can earn their trust and loyalty, securing them as an asset to hinder the humans' expansion. After all, humans have proven to be a significant threat, and it would be advantageous for us to have an advantage. Now that we understand the true extent of the threat posed by the Abyssals, we need the krogan on our side."

Corinthus thought about it for a bit.

"The plan does have merit," he said slowly. "And having the krogan on our side against the Abyssals would not be detrimental. They will fight relentlessly, and their bloodlust could be beneficial. I concur."

"It is settled, then," Tevos said. She leaned back in her chair. "Now, I believe we should address more pressing matters. What of the situation in the Attican Traverse?"


Salarians weren't famous for their ability to reverse-engineer foreign technology, and develop analogues to them, for nothing. They were a clever people, and a single glimpse of a weapon was often enough to allow them to reproduce it.

Admittedly, their reproductions were crude and unrefined, but they worked nonetheless. Given the sheer level of complexity the technology they were reverse-engineering, it might as well be considered a miracle that they managed to copy it at all.

The Captain looked outside the bridge viewports of his dimensional frigate as the rest of his crew, six officers clustered around various workstations around a central plotting table, kept close eyes on everything that the sensors could pick up, both inside the void of the interdimensional slipstream as well as the corresponding patches of real-space outside.

It had taken over a century for humans to craft their first interdimensional prowlers since their discovery of the interdimensional slipstream. It took STG less than a year. The ship was still noisy, slow, and chunky compared to the streamlined and pristine human prowlers, admittedly. But at least, it was a significant improvement from the cloaked stealth ships STG had employed before.

The ship itself was a modified standard STG stealth frigate; the sensor arrays have been replaced with smooth bulbs containing the new interdimensional sensors, giving the frigate a more organic, almost squid-like, look. The internal emission sinks remained, and the armament was expanded; the ship now had four torpedo tubes and a revamped GARDIAN array to compliment it's spinal mass accelerator. STG hadn't even gave it a name yet; it was that new. A testbed design built in secret to gauge the effectiveness of the new tech.

A dozen scientists, engineers, and technicians were poring over data. Some were reviewing data feeds of the new engines, another group was running tests on the engines. The rest, four salarian officers in full STG gear, were busy analyzing the readings coming from the interdimensional scanners.

"Spotting a gravitational anomaly, Captain. Approximate bearing 2-7 to left by 4-1 to dorsal, distance 3-3-7 L-Y."

The Captain turned around to look at the holographic display. "Ensign, what is this?"

"No idea, Captain. Anomaly appears too distorted to have a concrete image, but it's carrying a fluctuating, residual energy and mass-effect signature. The interference pattern is analogous to the residual signatures of a derelict vessel following catastrophic battle damage...but the scale is wrong."

He nodded. "I see. Have it analyzed immediately. Is there any indication of its origin point?"

"Negative, sir. No sign of anything beyond the normal distortion fields surrounding the system. Could be an artifact of the slipstream..."

"Can we get a visual? Prepare a probe to scout out the unknown."

"Yes, Captain. Preparing probe, adjusting sensor filaments."

The breech of the bow torpedo tube was opened as a probe was inserted into it for launching. On the plot, the trajectory of the incoming probe was plotted onto the screen. On the right hand side of the projection, a red dot indicated where the probe should go.

A red light flashed as the tube depressurized to a full vacuum, then flickered to green as the outer door opened to launch it's payload.

"Tube one ready!"

"Copy, confirm probe course, bearing 2-7 to left by 4-1 to dorsal, distance 3-3-7 L-Y. Proceed to deploy the probe."

"Probe course confirmed, bearing 2-7 to left by 4-1 to dorsal, distance 3-3-7 L-Y. Ready to launch on command."

"Launch on my mark." the Captain tapped his console twice. "Mark. Launch."

"Tube One...launch."

A long, cigar-shaped projectile was expelled from the tube, drifting lazily through the void of the interdimensional slipstream, before it's drive kicked in, opening a small hole to the void of realspace above, sending it hurtling towards the target area. Cross-dimensional arrays sent a constant stream of telemetry back and forth between the 'submerged' salarian vessel and the 'surfaced' probe.

"Telemetry feed active and stable. Probe has reached the designated target. Commencing scans."

The images filtered back as the probe took images and filtered through what passive scans it could gather. A semi-circular body tapering off to a sharp 'point' towards the rear, and a front with what appeared to be a 'head' and some kind of mouth lined with tentacles. It resembled a giant squid, but with less arms, there was only four visible, and an extra pair of sockets where two more would presumably go.

It had clearly suffered catastrophic damage. Most of it's upper surface was covered in scorch marks, hull breaches, and nasty gashes. Several large chunks were missing from the main section of its torso, exposing metal plating underneath, which was slagged in multiple places from the heat of plasma fire. There was debris scattered everywhere, most of it broken, mangled metal, parts of shattered limbs. Two of the 'tentacles' were gone.. Only stubs remained.

"What the hell happened here?" the Captain whispered. "This thing looks like it just got torn asunder."

"Analysis suggests that the vessel sustained severe damage during combat, Captain," one of the salarian officers replied. "Unknown has no match within our databases. Analysis shows significant damage done by mass accelerator-type weapons and disruptor explosive munitions. Damage to the forward section indicates that the vessel took a direct hit from a mass driver."

"The weapon that dealt the killing blow is approximately equivalent to the firepower of a human battleship," the Lieutenant nodded. "Whatever weapon it is, it smashed right through the front of this thing and tore it apart. This must've been a tough opponent indeed."

"So, whoever did this," the Captain said, turning back to his officers. "They're dead now? Or are they hiding somewhere, waiting for us to come down on them again?"

"We don't know for certain, Captain," an Ensign replied. "Remnants of organic material have been detected on the derelict. Radiocarbon dating approximates the age of the construct as roughly 37 million years old."

Captain Solus nodded. "Is it Prothean? That'd explain why nobody knows about these things."

One of the scientists shook her head. "Not likely, the designs do not match. The age suggests this vessel may be older than the Protheans themselves."

"Detecting static from the vessel," the Ensign reported.

"Static?"

"An interference field is generating static on the interdimensional link. I have commanded the probe to retreat to a safe distance to be safe, until we can figure out how to break through this interference. However, the signal strength seems to be constant across several frequencies."

The Captain frowned slightly. "Interference fields aren't uncommon when dealing with interdimensional space," he explained. "But why would the signal remain steady over different frequency ranges? Can't it vary based on the size of the particles involved?"

One of the scientists cut across the room. "VIs flipping through the parsed data have come up with a rough match to signals common in slave-inhibitor chips used in the Terminus Systems, but more refined and subtle. It is theorized to be capable of interfering with organic minds to control them remotely and manipulate their thoughts."

"The signal would be completely impossible to detect by normal means," another scientist added. "We only spotted it when it interfered with the probe's interdimensional link. If we didn't happen upon the anomaly while scanning, we wouldn't have noticed it."

"Interesting," the Captain mused. "Can you isolate the signal?"

"It would require extensive analysis using advanced equipment," one of the scientists admitted. "The signal is too scrambled for us to completely decipher. We need better instruments to make sense of it."

"I see. Keep an eye on it, but don't do anything rash. I have a hunch that whatever is happening here isn't good news."